Santa Cruz soccer player, 37, suspected of molesting teenage girl

SANTA CRUZ -- A 37-year-old soccer player who allegedly pursued a sexual relationship with a teenage girl on another soccer team was arrested on suspicion of child molestation Wednesday afternoon, the Sheriff's Office reported.

The mother of the 14-year-old Live Oak girl caught Jose Antonio Santana in the backseat of his car with her daughter, Sgt. Todd Liberty of the Sheriff's Office sex crimes unit said. The two were in a compromising position and, when discovered by the girl's mom, Santana ran, Liberty said.

The mother reported the incident to deputies. Santana was arrested around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday while at work on the 100 block of Plymouth Street in Santa Cruz, according to County Jail records.

Liberty said the two met while playing soccer - she is on a girls team that practices or plays at the same fields as men's team Santana is on - and had a relationship for some time.

"They've had multiple incidents of contact between the two of them," Liberty said, adding, "we do not believe there was any force involved."

Detectives are concerned Santana may have other relationships with girls "that are similarly inappropriate" but the investigation has not turned up other victims.

Santana is not suspected of having sex with the girl, but Liberty said they had other sexual contact. The Santa Cruz man was jailed on one count of child molest as well as an immigration hold.

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"The bottom line is when you do anything sexual with a 14 or 15 year old and you're more than 10 years older you're committing child molest," Liberty said.

Detectives ask anyone with information about Santana call the Investigations Division at 831-454-2311 or the 24-hour dispatch line at 831-471-1121.